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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27166321">Liebling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngieR/pseuds/AngieR'>AngieR</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Summer of My German Soldier - Bette Greene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:49:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27166321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngieR/pseuds/AngieR</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Crosses over with 'Chronicles Of Narnia.' Aslan tells Anton he has to go back because Patty still needs him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was in a tunnel, racing toward a bright light, but he felt no fear, only the most incredible peace he'd ever known. The light grew larger and larger until at last it surrounded him, and he was standing on solid ground again. For as far out as he could see in all directions was the verdant grass of what he soon realized was an enormous field, stretching into infinity in all directions.</p><p>He began to walk, drawn toward a distant figure which, as he approached it, turned out to be a large male lion with a beautiful mane and the deepest eyes he'd ever seen.</p><p>He'd barely had time to take all this in when, to his astonishment, the lion spoke.</p><p>"Fredrick Anton Reiker." Is that who I am? I can't remember...</p><p>"You must return," the lion continued, his voice rich and solemn. "It is not your time."</p><p>"But I want to stay!" Anton felt tears wet upon his cheeks. "This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!"</p><p>"There is one on earth who still needs you. Come."</p><p>Anton's feet had a mind of their own as they followed the lion, who turned onto a path that led toward what appeared to be a movie theater. The interior was dark, but the screen on one wall was huge, and the characters were as large as life.</p><p>The first person Anton saw was a slender, dark-haired young girl inside a courtroom, being questioned by several menacing men in uniform. The scene pierced Anton's heart, for he recognized the girl. Her name was Patty Bergen, and she'd fed and sheltered him while he was on the run from the POW camp.</p><p>"It's all because of me, isn't it?" he asked the lion.</p><p>"No," the lion replied. "It's because of her. She has an unselfish, giving nature, and it's for that she faces these consequences."</p><p>"But there has to be some way to help her!"</p><p>"The only person who can help her is you," the lion replied. "You taught her to value herself, and because of that, you and she share an unbreakable bond. That is why you must go back."</p><p>"But what can I do?" asked Anton. "How can I help her?"</p><p>"In time you will see," the lion replied. He began to fade away, becoming more and more transparent, until at last he was gone, and Anton found himself lying in bed in a hospital room attended to by two nurses, one of whom jumped as if she'd just seen a ghost.</p><p>"He's alive!" she told the other nurse.</p><p>"That's not possible." The other nurse didn't even look up from the chart she was reading. "No pulse, flat EKG, fixed and dilated pupils. I was just about to fetch the doctor to sign the death certificate."</p><p>"Look!" The nurse who'd spoken previously shook her arm, which made her look up. "His eyes are open!"</p><p>The nurse holding the chart swooned and dropped it.</p><p>Eight Years Later</p><p>"Ready to go?" a smiling Lucy Pevensie asked her flat mate, Patty Bergen. Patty, on full scholarship to a university in London, had been flat mates, and good friends, with Lucy for awhile now.</p><p>"You bet!" Patty grinned. Since coming to London, she'd found life busier but much more pleasant than life back in her hometown. The relief of being away from her domineering, abusive father and cold mother was more than she could express. She missed Ruth, Freddy, and Sharon, but kept in touch with them by mail.</p><p>Now she jumped up from the bed, quickly ate breakfast, and dressed. It was Saturday, and the girls were going horseback riding in the country.</p><p>They were both in high spirits as they arrived at the meadow and chose their horses. Patty climbed onto the back of her horse and moved out into the open field, and soon she was flying along with the sun shining on her face and the wind blowing in her hair.</p><p>Nothing like this back home, she told herself, remembering the dull stillness and monotony of the little Southern town where she'd grown up.</p><p>She'd been riding for perhaps twenty minutes when the horse's front foot went into a hole in the ground and Patty went flying over its head, landing hard in the grass a few feet away. Lucy was there within seconds, dismounting from her own horse.</p><p>"Are you all right?" she asked her friend.</p><p>Patty's face was a mask of pain. "I don't think so. My arm hurts really bad, and I can't move it."</p><p>How I wish I had my healing cordial with me! Lucy thought.</p><p>"We must get you to hospital right away!" she told Patty.</p><p>In the emergency room, Patty explained to the receptionist what had happened and was taken back to X-ray, then told to wait in the lobby.</p><p>"Dr. Reiker will be with you shortly," the smiling nurse told her.</p><p>"What is it?" Lucy asked when she saw the expression on Patty's face.</p><p>"I know someone named Reiker, once," Patty replied.</p><p>Patty drew a sharp intake of breath when the physician appeared. No. It couldn't be. He died a long time ago. At least, that's what they'd told her.</p><p>He looked much the same as before, except that he wore his hair in a different style now, and there were tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that hadn't been there before. When he spoke, his voice was soft with wonder.</p><p>"P.B.?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Anton?" All she could do was gape at him. "They told me you died."</p><p>I did, but I came back, is what he wanted to say, but couldn't. "Proves you can't believe everything you hear," is what he said instead. "Now, let's have a look at that arm of yours."</p><p>"It really hurts."</p><p>"What did you do to it?" asked Anton.</p><p>"Lucy and I were riding horses, and I fell off," Patty told him.</p><p>"First I need to take an X-ray," said Anton. "Come with me."</p><p>He led her into another room, which contained a large machine. He told her to sit beside it and hold her arm perfectly still. Then he left, and a few minutes later, another young man entered the room and went to the machine. It made some whirring noises, and then the young man left. A few minutes later, Anton returned with a film, which he placed into a slot on the wall. Then he called Patty over.</p><p>"Do you see this?" he asked, pointing to an image on the film. Patty nodded.</p><p>"This is your radius," he told her. "As you can see, there is a fraction line here. In other words, you have a broken arm."</p><p>"Oh, no!"</p><p>"It's a clean break, a simple fracture," Anton reassured her. "There's no reason it shouldn't heal completely in six weeks at the most. The bad news is, you'll have to wear a cast to hold the bone in place so it will heal properly."</p><p>"But I'm in school!" said Patty.</p><p>"There's no reason you can't continue your education, with minor adjustments," Anton replied as he began to prepare the plaster of Paris. First he put a soft cloth over Patty's arm, and then he began to wrap the strips around it.</p><p>"What are you taking at uni?" he asked as he worked.</p><p>"Journalism," she told him. "Lucy's going into nursing, so we don't have very many classes together anymore, like we did for the first couple of years."</p><p>"Who's Lucy?"</p><p>"My flat mate and best friend," Patty replied. "But how did you end up in London, Anton? I can still call you that, can't I?"</p><p>"It's Dr. Anton to you now." He chuckled. "Just kidding. I've been here about six months, taking care of my grandmother. She had a stroke. She's originally from Manchester, but she moved to London several years ago to get away from the colder winters and the air pollution from the factories." He paused, looked into her eyes, and smiled. "My turn now, P.B. How did you end up in London?"</p><p>"I won a tuition-free scholarship," Patty told him. "It pays for my tuition, books, dorm, meals, and even gives me a little spending money."</p><p>"I always knew you'd succeed at whatever you set out to do," said Anton. "I'm proud of you, you know."</p><p>"Thanks," said Patty, feeling a little shy.</p><p>By now the cast was dry.</p><p>"Make an appointment with my secretary to come back in six weeks, and I'll remove the cast." Anton patted Patty's shoulder. "Although I'm sorry about your arm, it really was good to see you again, P.B. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about you, wondering how you were." The vision the lion had shown him in that faraway land returned to him with startling clarity.</p><p>"I've thought about you a lot, too." She knew if she tried to say anything more, she'd burst into uncontrollable sobs, so she just turned and left.</p><p>"You sure were back there a long time." Lucy glanced at the cast on her arm. "So it's broken, then?"</p><p>Patty nodded. "I have to go back in six weeks to have the cast off."</p><p>She was silent the rest of the way back to the dorm.</p><p>"Out with it, Patty," said Lucy as soon as they were inside their room. "I can see from the look in your eyes you've something important on your mind."</p><p>"That doctor," said Patty. "I know him!"</p><p>"You do?"</p><p>Patty told her the whole story, how she'd hidden Anton from the authorities, how he'd tried to escape but been shot, how they'd told her of his death and then taken her into custody. It was the first time she'd ever told the story; it had always been much too painful to talk about. Yet Lucy was her best friend, and at last she felt it was safe to talk about it.</p><p>At the same time, she wondered how her revelation would affect their friendship. Would Lucy think less of her for it?</p><p>When she finished speaking, Lucy was silent for a moment as Patty gazed at her in fear. At last she spoke.</p><p>"I'm not the one to judge whether what you did was right or wrong," she said. "It's for One higher than me to make that decision, but I know you well enough to know you did what you did out of compassion rather than the desire to betray your country, and I know He'll take that into account."</p><p>"You're talking about God," said Patty. Lucy nodded. "You've always seemed so close to Him. but to me, He's always seemed so far away."</p><p>"He loves you, Patty," Lucy replied. "He loves all His children."</p><p>For the rest of the day, Anton couldn't get the encounter out of his mind. He knew he'd been sent back for a reason, and that it had something to do with Patty, but as much as he'd thought about it over the years, the answer still eluded him. He'd longed to talk with her again but feared trying to get in touch would only make things worse for her. He couldn't forget the rage he'd seen in her father's eyes, the fear he'd seen in hers, the overwhelming urge to protect her, even at the risk of his own safety. He'd seen from her expression that she'd felt the same way about him.</p><p>Yet he hadn't been able to stay and protect her. Due to circumstances beyond the control of them both, he'd had to leave her, vulnerable and powerless.</p><p>He'd had no idea he'd meet up again with her in the country of his mother's birth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The six weeks passed quickly. With minor adjustments, Patty was able to live a normal life and keep up with her studies, and before she knew it, it was time to return to the office of Dr. Anton F. Reiker.</p><p>She'd been counting down the days until she could see him again, and now that the time was finally here, the minutes seemed to pass very slowly. While waiting to be called back, she relived the scene where she'd said goodbye to him in the shed. They'd both been much younger, and very frightened. How had he changed as he'd matured over the years? Did he still think of her as his liebling?</p><p>"Patty Bergen?" The receptionist's voice pulled her out of her reverie. "The doctor will see you now."</p><p>The nurse led her to a waiting room, where she sat shivering until she saw the door swing open, and a young man with brown hair and a goatee entered.</p><p>"Hello," he said. "I'm Jack, the physician's assistant. I'm here to remove your cast. It won't hurt a bit."</p><p>The saw he held looked scary to Patty but, true to his word, there was no pain, only a slight tingling sensation when it touched her flesh.</p><p>"Dr. Reiker will be in to see you shortly," he told her before he left.</p><p>Less than five minutes later, the door opened once again, this time to admit Anton.</p><p>"Well, hello there, Miss P.B.," he greeted her. "How's your arm?"</p><p>"I can't move it at all," she complained. "It hurts every time I try."</p><p>"That's because the muscles became stiff after being held in place for so long," he told her. "As you resume normal use of your arm, the stiffness will disappear, and since you're young, that will be very soon."</p><p>He took another x-ray and then announced that the arm had completely healed.</p><p>"I guess that means I won't see you anymore," she said with downcast eyes.</p><p>"Why, it doesn't mean that at all!" He gave her a friendly smile. "In fact, if you don't already have plans, my grandmother and I would love to have you over for dinner Friday evening. Bring your flat mate - what was her name?"</p><p>"Lucy Pevensie."</p><p>"Bring her along as well. I'd love to meet her. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, too."</p><p>Patty was ecstatic as she returned home. She couldn't wait to see Anton again, and to meet his grandmother.</p><p>"What do you suppose she's like?" Lucy asked as she and Patty waited to be admitted to the Bennington home.</p><p>"If she's anything at all like Anton, she has to be a wonderful person," Patty replied.</p><p>The door opened.</p><p>"Come on in," Anton greeted them. "Hello, P.B. You must be Lucy. Nice to meet you. I'm Anton Reiker."</p><p>"Hello." Lucy gave a polite smile as she shook his hand.</p><p>Anton stepped aside so they could enter. The living room walls were covered with white wallpaper that had pale blue flowers. Against one wall was a navy blue sofa, and at each end of it were large navy blue chairs. In one chair sat an elderly lady in a dark green dress with little yellow flowers. She had short white hair and wore glasses. She looked up at her visitors and gave them a warm smile.</p><p>"These are the two young women I told you about, Nana," Anton said to her. "Patty Bergen and Lucy Pevensie. This is my grandmother, Maud Bennington."</p><p>"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Bennington," said Lucy.</p><p>"For me as well," added Patty.</p><p>"Please call me Maud," she told them. "Have a seat." She nodded toward the sofa. "How is your arm, Patty?"</p><p>"It's fine now," Patty told her. "Your grandson's a really good doctor."</p><p>"So he is," Maud agreed. She smiled at Anton, and he smiled back and took her hand. "He gave up a promising career to come look after a lonely old lady. He has a heart of gold, and he told me such amazing things about you, Patty. He said you took him in and gave him shelter when he was lost and afraid, at great risk to yourself."</p><p>"I could tell he was a good, kind person, and I wanted to help him," Patty replied. She thought of the dark day they'd told her Anton had died and showed her the shirt with the blood stains and felt her eyes moisten.</p><p>"Tell me, P.B. How bad were things for you after I left? I've worried about that ever since it happened," said Anton.</p><p>"They were pretty bad." Patty's voice was soft. "I was in reform school for awhile. Even after the war ended, people never treated me quite the same." Especially my parents, she wanted to add. "I was so glad when I got the chance to come to London, to start over fresh in a new country. What happened to you? After the hospital, I mean."</p><p>"I was returned to the prison camp, and after the war ended, I went back to Germany and finished medical school. I worked for a hospital in Gottingen for a couple of years and was thinking about starting my own practice when I received word that my grandmother had had a stroke."</p><p>A young woman appeared in the doorway. "Dinner's ready."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Several minutes later, the group was seated around a large table which held steaming platters and bowls - salad, pie and mash, rolls. Patty had grown accustomed to English food and found it quite tasty.</p><p>"Will you please say grace, Anton?" Maud asked her grandson.</p><p>"Of course I will, Nana," Anton replied. "Dear Lord, we thank you for this food, and for your many other blessings. Komm, Herr Jesu, sei unser Gast und segne, was Du uns bescheret hast. Amen."</p><p>"Thank you," said Maud.</p><p>Anton smiled. "It was my pleasure."</p><p>"He reminds me so much of his father," said Maud. "My Deborah was just eighteen when Erickson Reiker was a guest speaker at her school. It was love at first sight for those two. Even though she was so young, she knew it was the real thing. Her father and I tried to discourage it, but there was no use. She followed him to Germany and never looked back."</p><p>"Why did you try to discourage it?" Lucy wanted to know.</p><p>"Why, because she was so young, and Erickson was so much older, and German - the Great War had just ended, you see."</p><p>"That's what World War I used to be called," said Patty.</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"Many people were very bitter about the Treaty of Versailles," Anton put in. "My father only wanted peace, even if it meant the reparations had to be paid. His opinion was not a popular one."</p><p>"If all Germans had thought as your father did, there may not have even been another war," said Maud. "Lucy, why don't you tell us about your family?"</p><p>"I'm the youngest," said Lucy. "I have two older brothers, Peter and Edmund, and an older sister, Susan. We grew up in London, and when the evacuations started, we went to stay in the country with a nice old man named Professor Kirke." She glanced around the table, wondering how much of her story she should share. "We had many wonderful adventures there," she added at last.</p><p>"And how are your brothers and sisters now?" asked Maud.</p><p>"They're fine," Lucy replied. "Peter works for a bank, Edmund's almost finished with university, and Susan works as a fashion designer." She felt a stab of pain in her heart as she thought of her sister, and how she longed for Susan's return to the fold.</p><p>Anton saw the look in her eyes and wondered what was upsetting her. He suspected it must have something to do with one or more of her siblings but didn't want to pry.</p><p>For the rest of the meal, Maud regaled the group with stories of her life in Manchester.</p><p>"Sometimes on Saturdays, we'd take a ride to Liverpool to watch the ships come in," she said. "In those days, there were huge passenger ships with lots of people, and we'd stand on the dock and watch the little white birds swoop down. Deborah used to throw bits of food to them. We took the ferry across the Mersey a few times. It was all so very lovely. Have either of you girls ever been to Liverpool?"</p><p>Lucy and Patty shook their heads.</p><p>"You should go sometime. It's an experience you'd never forget."</p><p>"I'm still fascinated by everything there is to see in London," said Patty. "It's so different from back home!"</p><p>"Tell me about your home," said Maud.</p><p>"It's a small town in Arkansas," said Patty. "My parents own a general store. I used to work there sometimes. It's really small, nothing like Harrods. It's just one floor with everything in the same room."</p><p>"That's nice," said Maud.</p><p>They finished dinner and, after assuring Maud and Anton they'd visit again soon, took the subway home.</p><p>"Are you unhappy about something?" Patty asked Lucy.</p><p>"It's my sister Susan," Lucy replied. "She's no longer a believer."</p><p>"In what?" Patty wanted to know.</p><p>Lucy paused for a moment. "If I told you something utterly fantastic, would you believe it?"</p><p>"I'd certainly try!" Patty replied.</p><p>"In Professor Kirke's house, there was a wardrobe full of coats," Lucy began. "It was made of special wood - wood from a tree that grew in the magical land of Narnia. When you entered the wardrobe, sometimes there was just a plain wooden back, but sometimes you'd come out on the other side in the land of Narnia!"</p><p>Patty frowned. "I've never heard of it."</p><p>"It's a wonderful place, full of creatures like fauns and talking animals," Lucy told her. "But the most amazing of all is Aslan. He's a lion, but no ordinary one - he's the wisest and kindest creature you could ever hope to meet!"</p><p>"Are you all right, Lucy?" asked Patty. "What you're saying sounds crazy!"</p><p>"I know, but it's true!" Lucy's voice was raised, and several passengers turned to look at her.</p><p>"All right," said Patty. "If you say so, then it is. So what you're telling me is that you and your brothers and sister went to Narnia and met Aslan, but Susan doesn't believe it really happened anymore?"</p><p>Lucy shook her head. "She says it was all just a game, but it wasn't! It really happened!"</p><p>"I'm sorry," said Patty. She couldn't think of anything else to say.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Holiday season approached, and Christmas decorations began to appear all over London. For the first time since her arrival in England, Patty felt homesick.</p><p>"Aren't you excited about Christmas?" Lucy asked her as she sat the small Christmas tree she'd purchased at the chemist on the corner table in the living room.</p><p>"No," said Patty. "It isn't my holiday." She remembered Hanukkahs past - her mother saying the blessings and lighting the candles on the menorah, she and Sharon playing with dreidels and eating gelt. It was one of the few times of the year when her family came together as one. Even her father was halfway nice to her - part of the time, anyway.</p><p>"Oh, that's right," said Lucy. "I forgot. But don't you have something in the winter?"</p><p>"Hanukkah," Patty told her.</p><p>"I've never heard of that. Is it like Christmas?"</p><p>"Not really. There aren't any trees or manger scenes. Instead there's a menorah, and dreidels, and you eat potato pancakes - latkes - with sour cream and applesauce."</p><p>"Oh. I don't know whether you can get that sort of thing here. Do you not want a Christmas present from me, then?"</p><p>Patty shrugged. "Do whatever you want." She knew Lucy would never understand how she felt - and why should she? It wasn't her problem.</p><p>She thought of someone who would at least sympathize with her - someone she could talk to who would care. He'd given her his home telephone number and told her not to hesitate to call him if she needed him. He's so busy, though, she told herself. I shouldn't bother him with my own petty concerns.</p><p>Yet, hadn't he always listened with a sympathetic ear before? Hadn't he always offered, if not a solution to her problem, a listening ear, at least?</p><p>She picked up the receiver and began to dial his number. The telephone rang several times and was finally answered by the maid, Jemima.</p><p>"This is Patty Bergen," Patty told her. "May I please speak to Dr. Reiker?"</p><p>"Certainly." A few seconds later, Patty heard Anton's voice, asking how she was.</p><p>"I'm feeling really lonely right now," she said.</p><p>"Any special reason?"</p><p>Patty sighed. "It's almost Hanukkah, and I don't have anybody to share it with. Back home, Mama would light the candles on the menorah and say the blessings for each night. Then we'd eat a special meal and play with dreidels. I really miss all that."</p><p>Anton was quiet for a long time.</p><p>"Anton?" Patty finally asked.</p><p>"I think I can help you," he said. "I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do."

                                                                                                       
</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>"Susan! I'm so glad you could make it!" said Joan.</p><p>"Of course! I wouldn't miss a party like this!" As she spoke, Susan felt a twinge of guilt. Her parents had invited her to come with them to a candle lighting ceremony at church.</p><p>"Maybe I'll go," she'd mumbled, knowing all along she was planning to go to Joan and Helen's party instead.</p><p>"Come see this new lipstick I just found at the chemist," Helen called from another room. Susan went to join her and saw the lipstick was a bright reddish orange color called 'Poppy.'</p><p>"I like it!" said Susan.</p><p>"There's a nail polish to match." Helen showed her.</p><p>"Smashing!"</p><p>The young women spent several hours trying on make-up, gossiping, and giggling. Susan forgot all about the candle light service she was missing.</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>On the first night of Hanukkah, Patty was moping around at home when she heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door to see a young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes wearing a dark blue coat, but what really caught her attention was that the young woman was holding a menorah!</p><p>"Come on in," said Patty.</p><p>"Thanks," the young woman replied. "Are you Patty Bergen?"</p><p>"I am." Patty wondered what on earth was going on.</p><p>The young woman smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Naomi Cohen. Dr. Reiker told me about you. He said you were lonely and needed someone to celebrate Hanukkah with. He told me how to get to your flat, and I said I'd come right over."</p><p>"Wow!" Patty was shocked, but thrilled. "How do you know Dr. Reiker?"</p><p>"He's been treating my asthma ever since my old doctor retired," Naomi told her. "My family goes to the synagogue a couple of blocks over. You're welcome to come with us any time you want."</p><p>"Thanks!" said Patty. "I've been past there lots of times, but I was scared of going in there by myself."</p><p>"Nothing to be scared of," said Naomi. "Everyone is very nice."</p><p>"I'd like that," said Patty. As Naomi set up the menorah and retrieved the candles from her coat pocket, a warm feeling of happiness and gratitude filled Patty.</p><p>I knew I could count on Anton, she told herself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. In Any Other Language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A/N: This chapter is very intense. Also, I changed the canon timeline by about a year.</p><p>Although he'd fought in a war and seen injury and death first hand, nothing had prepared Anton for the carnage before him. The train had crashed into the platform at the station, hitting several bystanders, and Anton was one of the physicians who'd been summoned to search for survivors in the aftermath of the grisly wreck.</p><p>He gasped as he saw the still, pale face of Lucy Pevensie, blood flowing from a gash in her forehead.</p><p>"Mein Gott."</p><p>His eyes met those of another doctor, and he stiffened. Had the other man lost anyone in the Blitz?</p><p>"Knew her, did you?"</p><p>Anton nodded, relaxing. The other doctor hadn't heard his exact words.</p><p>"Such a bloody shame."</p><p>Anton nodded again as he searched desperately for any sign of life in Lucy's limp body. After finding no pulse in her neck or wrist, he sighed and gently pushed her eyelids closed. Then he moved on to the next passenger, a lad of about Lucy's age. The boy was dead, too.</p><p>Several ambulances waited, ready to take the injured to the hospital. Attendants carrying stretchers stood by, waiting for a sign from the doctors.</p><p>"No hope?" one of them asked Anton, indicating Lucy and the boy.</p><p>"No hope." Anton struggled to maintain his professional composure, knowing he'd break down later.</p><p>He grew weary but carried on, determined not to leave until any who were still hanging onto life, by however thin a thread, had been saved.</p><p>It was dusk before the few survivors had been carried away by ambulance, the many dead by the coroner. Anton's heart was heavier than it had ever been as he left the ruins of the train and station.</p><p>He was almost to his car when he came upon a young woman sobbing her heart out. She had long, dark brown hair and looked to be about twenty years old.</p><p>"Excuse me." He touched her arm. "Is there anything I can do for you?"</p><p>"N-no." The young woman shook her head. "I just found out my whole...family...is...d-dead."</p><p>"I am so sorry. Were they in the train?"</p><p>Her clear blue eyes met his. "My parents and sister were. My b-brothers were on the p-platform."</p><p>"Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" asked Anton. He put his hand on the young woman's shoulder and gently led her to a nearby bench. She sat down on it, and he sat beside her.</p><p>"I have my own flat. It - it's nearby." She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "But I don't feel like being alone tonight."</p><p>Anton didn't know what to say. Although he found the young woman attractive, he'd only now just met her, and for him, the idea of spending the night with her was out of the question.</p><p>Still, he couldn't just walk away and leave her.</p><p>"Do you have a friend who could stay with you?"</p><p>"There's Joan and Helen. I was with them earlier today. They don't know what happened yet."</p><p>"Perhaps they'd let you stay with them for tonight. If you told them what happened, I am sure they would take you in, Miss - "</p><p>"It's Susan - Susan Pevensie."</p><p>Anton gasped. "Lucy Pevensie's sister?"</p><p>Susan nodded. "How do you know Lucy?"</p><p>"Through her flat mate, Patty Bergen. Patty is - an old friend of mine." Suddenly he felt guilty, although he didn't know why, as he'd done nothing to feel guilty about. Perhaps it was only that he found Susan attractive.</p><p>Susan shrugged. "I don't know any of Lucy's friends. We aren't - weren't - that close anymore." She began to sob again.</p><p>"Listen, Susan." Anton gently touched her face. "Please promise me you'll go to Joan and Helen right away, and if there's any problem, give me a call, and I'll help you find alternative arrangements. My name is Anton Reiker, and here's my card."</p><p>Susan's eyes widened when she saw the title before his name. "Thanks!"</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>Patty stood at the periphery of the crowd that had gathered. She'd come as soon as she'd heard about the train crash, wondering whether anyone she knew had been involved.</p><p>"They say a whole family was killed, except for one daughter," she overheard someone near her say.</p><p>"Yes, the Pevensies," answered a second woman. "Isn't it terrible?"</p><p>"Excuse me, ma'am," Patty said to the woman nearest her. "Do you know if the surviving Pevensie daughter is named Lucy?"</p><p>"I'm so sorry, but I don't," the woman replied.</p><p>Sometime later, she heard a man's voice. "Has Susan been notified?"</p><p>"Do you mean Susan Pevensie?" Patty asked him.</p><p>"Yes," said the man. "Her entire family has just been killed."</p><p>Patty felt as if she'd just been stabbed through the heart. Oh my God! Lucy!</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Aftermath</h2></a>
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    <p>Maud heard the front door opening and knew her grandson was finally home. He'd rang earlier to say he didn't know when he'd be home, that a disaster of some sort had happened at the train station, that there were many injured and dead.</p><p>Now, as Anton entered the house, the stricken look on his face told her everything she needed to know.</p><p>She held her arms out to him, and he sank down on his knees in front of her, laying his head in her lap.</p><p>"So many were killed, Nana." His voice faltered. "There were just so many..." He began to sob, and as her fingers swept through the golden curls, she thought of how much like his mother he was. The day they'd learned what had happened to the Titanic, the twelve-year-old girl had come home from school inconsolable.</p><p>"Oh, Mama, you won't believe what happened!"</p><p>Now she gazed down at Deborah's heartbroken son. "I know you did the best you could for them."</p><p>He looked up at her with tears streaming down his face. "Do you remember the girl who came for dinner with Patty? Lucy Pevensie? She was - she was on the train, too."</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Anton. I wish there was something I could do."</p><p>"I did not want to upset you, Nana. It is not good for you to get upset."</p><p>"Please don't worry about me, Anton. I'm always here for you, whenever you need me."</p><p>He stood, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he did so. "I love you, Nana."</p><p>"And I love you, my sweet boy."</p><p>He showered and went to bed, falling asleep instantly.</p><p>When he awakened the next morning, Susan Pevensie came to his mind right away. She'd never rang, so he assumed her friends had taken her in for the night - he hoped so, anyway.</p><p>"Good morning, Nana." He kissed Maud's papery cheek. "How are you this morning?"</p><p>"Grateful that the good Lord allowed me to wake up for another day." She looked closely at his face. "Did you sleep well last night?"</p><p>"Oh, Nana, I was so tired I remember nothing after turning out the light." He nodded at the maid, who'd just sat his breakfast on the table. "Thank you, Jemima."</p><p>"My pleasure, sir."</p><p>After breakfast, he went straight to the hospital to check on the survivors and offer any assistance he could. There were bandages to be changed, medications to be dispensed, and various other tasks to be performed.</p><p>As he worked, he couldn't get Susan off his mind. How was she coping with everything? She'd lost her entire family in just one day. Did she have a clergyman, or at least a good friend, to talk to?</p><p>At noon, he checked in at his office.</p><p>"Someone rang for you," his nurse, Beatrice, told him. "A young woman. She left her information."</p><p>When Anton saw that it was Susan, he called her right away. She answered on the third ring.</p><p>"This is Anton Reiker," he told her. "I was told you'd rang me earlier."</p><p>"Yes! Can you please help me? I...I..." Her voice broke, and he heard her sobbing. Patiently, he waited until she'd gained her composure.</p><p>"I know you don't really know me, but could you please go to the funeral home with me to make the arrangements? I asked Joan and Helen, but they refused."</p><p>"They refused?" Anton couldn't believe what he'd just heard.</p><p>"They said - they said they didn't want to go because funeral homes are too depressing."</p><p>"And you have no one else?"</p><p>"No sir, I don't."</p><p>There was silence on the line for a few minutes as Anton grappled with his emotions.</p><p>"If you're too busy, I understand," Susan said after awhile.</p><p>"Oh, no, that is quite all right. Where can I meet you?"</p><p>She gave him the name and address of the funeral home. "I can be there in fifteen minutes," she said.</p><p>She was already there when he arrived, wearing a black coat with gray fur ruffles.</p><p>He nodded. "Miss Pevensie."</p><p>"Please, call me Susan."</p><p>He took her arm and led her into the funeral director's office.</p><p>For several hours, such subjects as burial clothing and funeral music were discussed. Anton admired the way Susan kept her composure, answering each question calmly and rationally. He noticed how her eyelids began to droop after awhile.</p><p>"Please, let me escort you home," he said to her when the ordeal was finally over.</p><p>She'd arrived by train, and he'd taken his car, so he led her out to it and opened the passenger side door for her.</p><p>"I am sorry I was not able to be of more help to you," he said as he drove to her flat. "You see, the only funeral I have ever attended was my grandfather's, and I had nothing to do with its planning."</p><p>"You were a great deal of help to me, just by your being there," she told him. "I don't know how I could have gone through all that if you hadn't been there with me."</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Violet</h2></a>
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    <p>As she made her way to the Pevensie's funeral, Patty wondered what had become of Anton. She'd called him several times since that devastating day the accident had happened, but each time, Jemima had told her he was unavailable.</p><p>Arriving at the chapel at last, Patty saw that she was late. She scooted into the back row, which contained only a couple of strangers.</p><p>Patty could hear the minister's words but could see nothing but the backs of people's heads. She felt very out of place and wondered whether it had been a mistake to come, yet she knew if she hadn't, she would have always regretted missing her chance to say goodbye to Lucy.</p><p>At last the service drew to a close, and the congregation began to file past the closed caskets. Patty felt a pang of disappointment that she would never see Lucy's face again. She had no time to dwell on that, however, as her eyes fell on something that gave her a real shock.</p><p>Anton was on the other side of the chapel, with a young woman who was dressed all in black. His hand was on her elbow, as if he was supporting her.</p><p>Who was she? Could she be Susan Pevensie? How did Anton know her?</p><p>Mesmerized, Patty tried her best to keep her eyes on the pair but quickly lost them. Once outside, she saw them from a distance again. Anton was helping the woman in black into the passenger's side of his car, then getting into the car himself. As she watched him drive away, Patty got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.</p><p>Was the woman, whoever she was, a new love interest of Anton's? From all appearances, Patty would say it was definitely a possibility.</p><p>I can't believe it! she told herself as tears began to smart in her eyes. First I lose Lucy, and now this!</p><p>By the time she left to return to the university, she was crying so hard she could barely see where she was going.</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>"Thank you so much for escorting me to the funeral," Susan said to Anton and they rode along. "I never could have gotten through it alone."</p><p>"I was happy to help." Anton parked in front of Susan's flat. "I cannot even imagine what it would be like to lose your whole family at once." They got out of the car and walked into the building.</p><p>"I still can't believe they're really gone forever," said Susan. "I feel as if I'm in a dream, that I will wake up at any time and find out it didn't happen at all, that they are still here with me." They reached her door. "Will you please come inside with me?"</p><p>"Of course I will," said Anton.</p><p>Inside the flat, Anton sat down on the sofa while Susan put the kettle on. When the tea was ready, she took Anton his cup and sat opposite him with her own. "I feel so much better with you here."</p><p>Anton felt awkward, unsure of how to respond. He thought of Patty, but she somehow seemed distant. She'd just lost her best friend, it was true, but Susan had lost her entire family.</p><p>"Have you ever felt like you were completely alone in the world, except for one other person?" asked Susan.</p><p>"Yes, I have." Anton remembered the days he'd spent in the loft above the Bergens' garage.</p><p>"That's how I feel right now." As she slowly sipped her tea, Susan's eyes had a faraway look. "It was during the Blitz. I remember saying goodbye to my parents at the train station. It was the first time I would ever be separated from them, and I was so afraid I'd never see them again! But Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and I had each other...we always had each other..." She began to sob. "But now they're gone..."</p><p>Anton yearned to comfort her but couldn't find the words. He'd lost patients before, but there had almost always been other family members to comfort the bereaved.</p><p>"If I could ask, without sounding too forward..." the clear blue eyes gazed right into his own, "will you stay here with me awhile?"</p><p>Anton took both her hands into his own. "I will stay with you for as long as you want me to."</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>The day before the spring term started, a young woman Patty had never seen before arrived at her flat. She had shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, and a friendly smile.</p><p>"Hi! My name is Violet Fields, and I'm to be your new flat mate," she told Patty.</p><p>"Hi, I'm Patty Bergen." She shook Violet's hand.</p><p>"You're American," Violet observed.</p><p>"Yes, I'm from Jenkinsville, Arkansas," Patty told her. "I won a scholarship to this university."</p><p>"You don't say!" Violet's eyes widened. "You must be quite clever, then."</p><p>Patty shrugged. "I guess the scholarship board must have thought so."</p><p>"How jolly splendid! I'm going into secondary education. What are you studying?"</p><p>"Journalism."</p><p>"We aren't likely to have many classes in common, then."</p><p>"Neither did Lucy and I," said Patty.</p><p>She arched one eyebrow. "Lucy?"</p><p>"The girl I used to room with. She - she died in a train crash over the holiday break." Patty began to sob, leaving Violet to watch helplessly.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. A Trip To Germany</h2></a>
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    <p>"That is the home of Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer," Anton told Susan, pointing to a large two-story house. "He is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry. He and his partner discovered the spin isomers of hydrogen."</p><p>"Wow!" said Susan. "You must need an IQ of at least 150 just to live here!"</p><p>Anton laughed. He'd taken an extended vacation to take Susan to meet his family in Gottingen. He hoped the visit would cheer her and help take her mind off her tremendous loss, at least temporarily. After crossing the English Channel, they'd spent the night at an inn in Antwort (Anton had paid for two separate bedrooms), and then Anton had hired a car to drive the rest of the way.</p><p>He drove past trees and charming half-timbered houses until he reached a two-story house with a large sloping roof surrounded by a well-manicured lawn with a big shade tree in front.</p><p>"Here we are." Anton parked the car, and he and Susan got out. He had his own key to the house, but he rang the doorbell because he didn't want to startle his parents. A moment later, Erickson Reiker opened the door.</p><p>He was a tall, slender man, with short salt-and-pepper hair parted on the left. He had bright blue eyes and was wearing gray slacks with a white shirt and a gray sweater.</p><p>"Anton! What a lovely surprise," he said. "And is this the young lady you wrote and told us about?"</p><p>"This is Susan Pevensie," said Anton.</p><p>Erickson's eyebrows went up in surprise, but then he smiled. "Seems to be it was a different name, but of course my memory is not as it once was. It is lovely to meet you, dear. Welcome to my home."</p><p>Susan smiled. "Thank you, sir."</p><p>She and Anton entered the living room. Its walls were cream-colored, and a burgundy sofa was against one wall. A large book case was against the other. Deborah Reiker walked in. She was short and plump, with her dark hair done up in a bun. She had hazel eyes. She walked over to her son and gave him a hug.</p><p>"Anton, how nice to see you again! And you have brought company - welcome, dear. I'm Deborah Reiker."</p><p>"I'm Susan Pevensie," said Susan.</p><p>"Do have a seat on the sofa. I'll bring your tea."</p><p>"Thank you." Anton and Susan sat on the burgundy sofa, which Susan found to be very comfortable. Erickson sat in his dark brown easy chair across from them and lit up his pipe.</p><p>"We heard on the news about the train accident in London in which so many lives were lost," he remarked. "Such a tragedy!"</p><p>"Yes," Anton agreed.</p><p>"I hope and pray you were not affected in any way," Erickson said to Susan.</p><p>"I lost my whole family!" Susan's face crinkled up and she began to cry, gasping out deep, wracking sobs.</p><p>"Why, my word!" Startled, Erickson almost dropped his pipe. "I am so sorry, dear!"</p><p>Anton did his best to comfort Susan, and by the time Deborah returned with the tea, she was calm enough to accept her cup.</p><p>"I am sorry," Anton told his parents. "I should have told you ahead of time."</p><p>"That's quite all right," said Deborah. "I only wish I knew what to say to help ease your pain."</p><p>Susan heaved a deep, ragged sigh. "Last Christmas, they wanted me to go to a candle lighting service with them at church. I refused. I wanted to go to a party Joan and Helen were having. There will be plenty more candle lighting services, I told myself. I had no idea. No idea at all."</p><p>"Why, of course you didn't," said Deborah. "None of us ever do. How well I remember the last time I saw my Uncle Freddy! It was right before he left to fight in France. He hugged me and kissed my cheek. 'Don't get married before I get back,' he told me. 'I want to dance at your wedding.' Those were the last words he ever said to me."</p><p>Susan was completely quiet, listening in rapt attention.</p><p>"We got the telegram several weeks later. There and then, I decided I hated Germans and never wanted to see one for as long as I lived."</p><p>Erickson's eyes were twinkling. "I was the first German you ever met!"</p><p>Deborah smiled and nodded. "The war had just ended. He came to my school to give a lecture. I was amazed that a German could be so intelligent, so articulate, so compassionate. I'd only ever before seen them all as brutal thugs."</p><p>"When the lecture was over, I felt a little sad that I'd never see him again. It was pouring down rain, and he hadn't thought to bring an umbrella. I offered to share mine, and he gratefully accepted. While waiting at the bus stop, I told him about my family and Uncle Freddy. He told me he'd lost relatives in the war as well."</p><p>"Before we parted, he asked if it would be all right if he called on me. I happily agreed. We began to see a lot of each other. My parents weren't too happy about it at first, but he quickly won them over." Her eyes held a dreamy, far-away look. "I know it sounds rather funny, but when we were married, I knew Uncle Freddy was smiling down on me from above."</p><p>"My father was a professor too," said Susan. "He lectured at universities in America during the war. Mum and I traveled with him."</p><p>"That must have been exciting," said Deborah. "I've never been to America, but I've always thought it would be nice to visit someday."</p><p>Susan was soon chatting with the Reikers as if she'd known them for years.</p><p>Scene Break</p><p>"May I please speak to Dr. Reiker?" asked Patty.</p><p>"I'm terribly sorry, but he isn't in right now," said Beatrice. "Dr. Collins is taking his calls while he's away. Do you want his number?"</p><p>"No," said Patty. "This is a personal call. I'm a friend of his. Could you please tell me when he'll be back?"</p><p>There was a long pause, as if Beatrice were searching for the right words to say. "He returned to Germany to visit his parents. I'm not sure when he'll be back. I'm sorry."</p><p>He went to Germany without telling me? Patty felt as if her stomach were twisting into a knot. Did he go alone, or...was she with him?</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Ein Spaziergang</h2></a>
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    <p>"I am sorry you were traumatized by my father's words," said Anton. "I assure you, he did not mean to upset you."</p><p>He and Susan strolled hand-in-hand in the waning sunlight. Tall trees with naked branches reaching up toward the sky lined their path. Patches of brown grass dotted the light covering of snow which coated the ground like a thin drizzle of icing on a cake, and the purple, pink, and orange sky hung suspended over their heads like a watercolor paining on a canvas.</p><p>"I know that," Susan replied. "I shouldn't have overreacted like I did, but it's just so hard." Her eyes filled with tears. "Anton, have you ever lost anyone close?"</p><p>"My best childhood friend, Ernst, was killed in France." Anton had to swallow a lump in his throat. "I saw him die. That happened right before I was taken captive. If I had been standing exactly where he was, I would have been the one to take the bullet."</p><p>"That had to have been horrible," said Susan, softly. An American bullet, she told herself, not an English bullet - and the war was over now, anyway.</p><p>"It was the worst thing that ever happened to me," Anton agreed.</p><p>"You never realize how much you love them until they're gone," said Susan.</p><p>Anton nodded. He couldn't even begin to imagine her pain.</p><p>"But it's more than just that," Susan continued.</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"When the Blitz began, my brothers and sister and I were sent to the country to stay with Professor Diggory Kirke. In his house was a wardrobe. If you entered it, sometimes you could come out into a magical land."</p><p>Anton stopped walking and turned to look at her. He'd never heard anything like this before. Could her grief be causing her to lose touch with reality?</p><p>"I know it sounds quite daft, like the imaginings of a child, but it was true - or at least for us, it was." She looked into his eyes to see no derision, but only curiosity.</p><p>"Go on."</p><p>Encouraged, she continued. "In this land were many wonderful things, talking animals, mythical beasts, and acts that defied the laws of nature, but best of all was Aslan. He was a lion - a talking one."</p><p>Anton grew silent, remembering the experience he'd had after his injury and hospitalization. The lion was the most amazing being he'd ever encountered. He'd never been able to share his experience with anyone, not even his parents. He'd been afraid they'd think he'd taken leave of his senses.</p><p>Could Susan be talking about the same lion?</p><p>"After the evil white witch was defeated, we four reigned at Cair Paravel for many years. One day we were out hunting when we suddenly found ourselves back in the wardrobe in Professor Kirke's house."</p><p>"That is quite a story." Anton still wasn't sure what to think. Clearly, there was a world beyond this one - he'd visited it himself, once.</p><p>"You must think I'm mad," said Susan.</p><p>"Not at all," Anton assured her.</p><p>"Over time, I started to think we must have imagined the whole thing," Susan continued. "My brothers and sister talked about it all the time, like it was real, but somehow, I just couldn't think like that anymore. For me, the real world was England, and school, and boys, and parties, and makeup - adult things. It got so that was all I cared about."</p><p>"That is certainly understandable."</p><p>"And yet - now that they're gone, I can't help wondering - what if it was all true, after all? What if they're all in Narnia with Aslan right now?"</p><p>Tears were streaming down her face as she looked into his eyes. He held her and brushed them away.</p><p>"It is true," he said slowly. "I have seen Narnia myself, and Aslan."</p><p>She backed away, surprised. "How?"</p><p>"When I was captured and taken to America as a prisoner of war, I was determined to escape and find my way back home," he said. "Once outside the camp, I encountered a young lady who hid me in the loft above her parents' garage. After several weeks, I became concerned for her safety and left my hiding place to continue my journey. I was shot by the authorities and taken to a hospital."</p><p>He paused, gathering his courage. "I entered a tunnel and found myself moving through it at a very fast rate. At the end was a large field with beautiful flowers, and there was also a lion - a talking lion."</p><p>He looked into her eyes and saw she was still listening to him in rapt attention. He took a deep breath and continued.</p><p>"He showed me things. I saw Patty, and she was in trouble."</p><p>"The girl who hid you in the loft?"</p><p>Anton nodded. "The lion - Aslan - told me I had to go back because she still needed me. I did not know how I could help her, or even how to get in touch with her, and after some time had passed, I came to think that likely she had gone on with her life and I should do the same. Then last fall, she came to me for treatment of her broken arm."</p><p>They walked in silence for awhile, the snow crunching beneath their shoes.</p><p>"So did you two stay in touch after that?" Susan finally asked.</p><p>"Yes. I invited her and her flat mate to visit my grandmother and me for dinner one night."</p><p>"And?"</p><p>He paused and turned to her again. "Susan, you will not believe this, but her flat mate was your sister, Lucy."</p><p>Susan gasped. "So you met Lucy before she - before it happened."</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Oh please, tell me - was she all right? Did she say anything about the others?"</p><p>Anton frowned, trying to remember. "She mentioned she had siblings and what their jobs were, but that is all I recall." He sighed. "I wish I could tell you more."</p><p>"It's quite all right. I'm grateful for any recollections at all." She shivered. Anton had a fleeting memory of Patty as Aslan had shown her to him, all alone and helpless. Yet now, it seemed Susan was the one who was all alone and helpless.</p><p>"Let's go back," he suggested. "The fireplace at home will warm you."</p><p>He put his arm around her, and she cuddled close to him.</p>
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